


Flip

by otakuAegyo



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Brother/Brother Incest, Like, M/M, Reincarnation, fluff incest, it ends happily i promise, its only light incest though, theres also a state fair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-11 01:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4415387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otakuAegyo/pseuds/otakuAegyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Hiro's birthday, and what better way to celebrate than go to a fair? However, things both good and bad will be at work throughout their adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anticipation

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my goodness, this is my first work to be uploaded here. I'm really nervous about it, and I really hope you guys like it! I'll be posting more from other fandoms and maybe even some original stories later if this one gets good responses from you guys. :3 Please tell me if you find any spelling or grammar errors. Anyways, enjoy!  
> (P.S: I am not the only one behind this, however I don't know the username(s) of those people. As soon as I know them, I will post them because this is just as much their work as it is mine.)

_In the beginning, there was a bond. A bond that was so powerful that it could move mountains, fight evil, and make miracles a reality. A bond that defied both time and space just to stay together. And together, they stayed._

 

“Happy birthday, Hiro!”  
_Ugh… More people I hardly know…_ Hiro really didn’t feel like celebrating his birthday. He never really thought they were worth the trouble of throwing a party because he never enjoyed them, even as a little kid. But something about today felt off. It wasn’t bad or good really, just strange. Kind of like the feeling you get when the rollercoaster tracks you can’t see start over a hill; some unseen force you just feel. Mute anticipation thrummed inside Hiro, singing into his veins a song of excitement. His current expression didn’t take after how he really felt right now, though. Slightly upbeat, slightly excited, slightly sick, all glossed over with a painted on smile. Was this even a sane combination of emotions? He figured not.  
  
Any minute now, Tadashi should be walking through that door. Hiro began to pace restlessly while the other partygoers socialized and enjoyed the food. He looked at the clock. _1:42, huh? It’s already been like, 20 minutes…_ “Come on, come on…” Hiro droned. He was really beginning to get impatient now. Jeez, how long did it take one brother to get back from the store for some Silly String and candles? As if to answer his call, the door opened. Hiro’s heart sped up and heat flushed his face as he peered around a small crowd of people to see who was entering. Sure enough, it was Tadashi. Hiro ran up to the door to greet his brother, careful to not run into anyone else. Tadashi looked up from the doorknob and smiled as soon as he saw his little brother running toward him.  
  
“Someone’s excited,” Tadashi mused with a chuckle. Hiro just hugged his older brother silently, a huge grin on his face. He could never get enough of his Tadashi, never ever in a million years.  
  
Hiro looked up at his brother. “Tadashi! What took you so long?” Hiro cried. “You left forever ago!” He pouted a little, crossing his arms and turning away from Tadashi with a little _hmph_. “I had to make an extra stop, but I think you might like what I had to stop for,” Tadashi replied with a smile. As Tadashi passed, he ruffled his little brother’s hair which instantly turned Hiro’s mood around. Hiro laughed and watched his older brother go over to Aunt Cass. He saw them talking about something, occasionally glancing at him. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what they might be saying about him. _Oh man, what if they’re talking about what happened in 3rd grade?!_ He tensed up a bit with that embarrassing tidbit. Suddenly, they both stopped, and Tadashi nodded him over. Hiro quickly obeyed.  
  
“There’s the birthday boy!” Aunt Cass exclaimed, grabbing Hiro and squeezing him tight. Hiro giggled nervously, going along with it. “Y-yeah, I’m here. So uh, did you have a nice chat?” Hiro asked anxiously. He seriously hoped they weren’t talking about 3rd grade.  
  
“Yep, now come on, let’s have cake!” Cass pulled both boys toward the table where plates, cups, and now a cake were set. Tadashi reached into the bag and grabbed the multicolored cake candles, handing them to Aunt Cass. She started to arrange 14 of them around the cake, being careful not to mess up the lettering. Tadashi turned his little brother around while everything was being prepared. “Can’t look now little brother,” Tadashi said. Heck, as long as Hiro could look at his brother, it didn’t matter if he didn’t see the cake again.  
  
A few moments later, Aunt Cass clapped her hands loudly a few times to round up everyone’s attention. Hiro sighed and turned around. He hoped this would end quickly. “Alright everyone, it’s time to sing!” Cass announced, turning the light off and beginning the birthday song. The rest of the crowd joined in to the melody and Hiro couldn’t help but smile and blush like an idiot. When they stopped singing, Hiro bent down a little and thought of the same wish he’d made for nearly every birthday he’d had. _To get Tadashi to love me more. And maybe more friends._ With this in mind, he blew out the tiny flames.  
  
Everyone clapped and cheered as the smoke wisped up around the cake. This year, maybe he would get his wish. Aunt Cass grabbed a cake knife from the kitchen and began to cut into it, right between the gummy bears on the border. Okay, this cake did look pretty good now. It was chocolate with vanilla frosting but all along the sides there were gummy bears. Gummy bears everywhere on this thing. There was just enough room on there to hold the lettering. His mouth was watering a bit when Aunt Cass handed him a large piece. She continued cutting the cake while Hiro dug into this one lovely piece of cake.  
  
After the first bite, he slowly kept eating it, wanting to savor it as long as he could. He closed his eyes, spaced out in flavor. Automatically, he cut another small morsel off of his piece of cake. When he brought it to his mouth though, the fork was empty. He snapped his eyes open, searching the plate and the floor for the missing food. The only thing he saw, however, was a smirking Tadashi with cake crumbs on his face, chewing and trying not to laugh. “Tadashi, what the heck!” Hiro fumed. Tadashi laughed, blocking his mouth with his hand. “Sorry Hiro, just couldn’t have you floating off now and choking on cake,” Tadashi replied shamelessly.  
  
“Jeez, just get your _own_ piece…” Hiro growled a little but didn’t let it get to him. He knew his brother cared for him a lot and didn’t want to see him get hurt or choke or anything like that. Sometimes, though, Tadashi had a tendency to take it too far. For now though, Hiro would let this slide. At least until they were alone. Then he would exact some kind of revenge.  
  
About 30 minutes and too many hair-rufflings later, everyone except Tadashi and Aunt Cass had left. Hiro could relax now. He slumped on the couch and closed his eyes; Mochi jumped up into his lap and snuggled close to Hiro, starting to purr. _This feels so nice…_ Hiro thought, letting his mind drift. Just have nothing but darkness and peace for a few moments. Let the cake settle and hope his stomach would stop protesting soon. Hope this weird feeling would go away soon.  
  
A hand on his shoulder startled Hiro awake. He looked around for the source of the hand and was greeted by both his aunt and his brother. “Hey there Sleepin’ Beauty, good to see you woke up,” Aunt Cass whispered. Hiro was still waking up despite the shock of a moment ago. His eyes were dry and things were a little blurry. Mochi was gone and was replaced by Tadashi and Aunt Cass. The clock read 4:26. He had been out for a few hours. “You with us?” Tadashi asked.  
  
“Yeah,” Hiro answered groggily. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get his eyes to work right. That effort proved futile. “We have a surprise for you,” said Aunt Cass. She sure looked excited about something. So did Tadashi. This was puzzling; they hardly ever had any surprises unless the impromptu trip to Disneyland counted. “What is it?” Hiro probed. He was beginning to get a little excited, too.  
  
Tadashi reached into his back pocket and pulled something resembling a receipt out. He offered it to Hiro and Hiro took it, examining it. It wasn’t a receipt, and there was two of them. Two tickets. He squinted at the text on them and saw the words _State Fair_ printed on them. His eyes widened a little bit. He quickly looked up to Tadashi and Aunt Cass, then back to the tickets, then back up again. A huge grin creeped onto his face. “The fair?!” shouted Hiro. He’d always wanted to go to the fair! The only thing holding him back from that was all the bullies that had been in school with him would be there. In fact, they might be there today too. But this time, Hiro had his older brother or Aunt Cass, so maybe it wouldn’t matter so much.  
  
Either way, his excitement overshadowed his fear and he leapt up from the couch, hugging both of them. “Oh, thank you Aunt Cass, Tadashi! Thank you thank you thank you!” Hiro squealed, hugging them both tighter.  
  
“You’re welcome,” started Aunt Cass, “but you gotta stop strangling us first.” With those words, Hiro let them go, no less excited than before. With that excitement, though, came the odd sensation that had plagued him all day. It probably didn’t mean anything at all. “When are we going?” he asked eagerly.  
  
“Today, Knucklehead,” said Tadashi. He was grinning ear to ear just like Hiro was. “You and me, right now!”  
  
When Hiro heard that, he jumped up and cheered, running around like a wild banshee. Imagine that! At the fair with Tadashi and Aunt Cass! This would be so much more fun than a bot fight! Well, maybe better than a bot fight. Tadashi walked behind the counter and grabbed two helmets, tossing one to Hiro and strapping the other one on. Then he remembered something. “Aunt Cass? Aren’t you coming, too?” Hiro mewled.  
  
She shook her head. “Sorry kiddo, I have to hold down the fort,” she unenthusiastically said. It would’ve been great if she could’ve come along too, everyone knew she needed a vacation. She was always working in this lovely little bakery. But she seemed happy that they got to go. She came over to each of them and hugged them both as they said their farewells. As Hiro and Tadashi crossed the threshold, Tadashi yelled, “We’ll be back by 10!” 


	2. Full of Stuffing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Hiro and Tadashi have made it to the fair! Tadashi tries something new. I'm terrible at summaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, finally finished with the second chapter! Thank you all for kudosing and bookmarking my work, I really appreciate it all! Please feel free to comment and also tell me if there are any errors in spelling, grammar, or coding! Thanks again, you lovely people! ^^

One moped ride later, Tadashi and Hiro found themselves in a massive parking lot that was used for the fair. Usually this whole place was an empty lot that was occasionally used for fireworks, concerts, and the like. However, today it was a land that every kid’s dreams are made of. The rides seemed to touch the sky, bright and pronounced in the afternoon sun. Light glinted off the garish colors of the rides and smells of funnel cakes filled the air. Soft fanfare music could be heard in the distance. Yep, this truly was a fair.  
  
Hiro practically jumped off of the motorbike as soon as they got there. He didn’t even wait for them to get parked before he tried jumping and running to the large and quite elaborate display of fun. Tadashi was prepared for that, so he grabbed his little brother before he could wiggle off and get them both in a mess. “Patience, Knucklehead,” Tadashi enforced. As soon as they got parked, though, he could no longer hold back his brother’s excitement. He had to run after Hiro, who was recklessly jumping through and over cars just to get inside the fairgrounds. “Wait up, Hiro!”  
  
Hiro couldn’t hear anything beyond the steadily growing sound of music. The only thing in his sight was the carnival in front of him, at least until the back of his shirt was grabbed. He looked back, still trying to run, to see Tadashi hanging on tight. “You can’t just go running off like that! Stay close to me,” he scolded.  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Hiro replied, disinterested. They were both running now. With the heat of the day, Tadashi was beginning to regret wearing a cardigan and a hat, especially if they were going to be moving this much. Before he knew it, Hiro had stopped running. Tadashi slumped a bit and tried to catch his breath. After a few moments, he looked up. There was a long line of people waiting to get in to the fair, but the line was moving quickly. “Hiro, never do that again…” Tadashi said, still short of breath.  
  
“Sorry bro, I just had to get here before the line got any longer,” explained Hiro. Like _that_ was a good excuse. “Sure, just don’t do it again,” Tadashi replied, putting a hand on Hiro’s head.  
  
Hiro was bouncing all the way to the box office and Tadashi didn’t dare stop him. It would be better if he could get some energy out now than trying to bounce around some ride that went upside down. Finally, they were standing before the box office worker, a middle aged woman with short, curly hair. “Tickets, please,” she perfunctorily stated.  
  
“Hiro, you have the tickets,” said Tadashi, nudging his little brother lightly.  
  
“Oh!” Hiro began to search his pockets with shaky hands until he found the two crumpled tickets. He handed them to the lady who then took them and handed them two tamper-proof wristbands. “Enjoy the fair. Next,” she droned. Hiro handed one to Tadashi while trying to snap his own on with one hand while also trying to get through the gates. As soon as Tadashi got his on in about the same manner, he helped Hiro get his on. Once that was done, they stepped through the gate into another world.  
  
Thousands of people were walking around, stopped at stands, or standing in lines. Lavish stalls were lined with overpriced goods and t-shirts that could be airbrushed. Lots of people were lined up at an airbrush tattoo stand. A few games were off to the side, and right in front of them was a lift that went to the other side of the park. The huge attractions stood tall in the background, imposing their authority and dominance over the park. Hiro looked around in awe of the rides before him. Before, only buildings and those self-flying kites had been the tall things in his view. This was more of the view for him. Unending thrills, junk food, and games… Yeah, this was definitely for him.  
  
“Hiro?”  
  
Hiro jumped back to reality when Tadashi called his name. He had to yell over all the noise of this place. “What?” Hiro responded.  
  
“I said, what do you want to do first?”  
  
Hiro thought for a little while and looked around at the seemingly endless rides, trying to figure out which one would be the most extreme. The upside-down-all-around thing was looking like a prime candidate right now. Hiro pointed to it with a grin and began to drag Tadashi towards it. It wasn’t the tallest ride in the park, but boy did it look fun. “Hiro, slow down,” Tadashi cried. There was no way he was getting on this thing, but he had to make sure that Hiro would be okay and hopefully not be with any weird strangers. Especially not in some of the rides that didn’t have separate seats and required two riders. He shivered at the thought of that and also of the thought on going on half of these rides.  
  
Finally, they made it to the ride. The line for this particular ride didn’t appear to be too long, which was rather surprising. Nonetheless, Hiro quickly rushed into the line before anyone else could take his spot. Tadashi stood beside him, trying to think of a way to weasel out of having to ride this thing… But he had to do this for Hiro. He looked at the monstrosity and watched it work. He watched the people that got off of it. The ride seemed safe and the people coming out of it didn’t seem too scarred by the experience, but some of them had to stay upside down for a little while. Tadashi really hoped that they would be among the first ones to get off.  
  
The next round they would be in that ride. Hiro couldn’t wait to get in it; just hearing all those shrieks and seeing their faces afterwards made adrenaline rush through his veins. He was kind of confused as to why Tadashi had gotten in line with him. This wasn’t his thing at all. Hiro didn’t question it for too long though, since the riders were now exiting. They were next! _Yes!_ The line started moving again.  
  
Both of them showed their bracelets to the man working the ride and he let them in. The man said as they passed, “Two riders to a car, please.” Perfect. Hiro looked for a car and ran to it, then looked back at Tadashi to see if he was still following. Sure enough, he was there, albeit having a look of _oh-crap-I’m-gonna-die_ clearly displayed across his face. “What’s wrong, bro? Scared?” Hiro teased.  
  
Tadashi grunted and countered, “I’ve dealt with worse,” as he climbed into the car. Hiro followed suit, giggling a little. Another worker came around to secure the lap bar that would hopefully hold them in the seat. The worker also closed the door to the cramped car. There was now only a few windows they could see out of. “This is gonna be great!” Hiro shrieked. “Right, Tadashi?”  
  
Hiro looked over to his older brother. Tadashi was gripping the lap bar so hard his knuckles had turned white and he was sweating. He’d never looked so scared in all his life. “Y-yeah,” Tadashi weakly replied. But it was too late to turn back now. The ride roared to life and started moving. They were going up, and the car’s upright nature was slowly being challenged. But then the movement stopped, all except for the move that flicked them both upside down. Tadashi screamed for a few moments. Hiro reached over to him and put his hand on Tadashi’s larger one. “Tadashi. It’s okay, you’re okay,” Hiro said softly, trying to look and sound calm. He stroked his older brother’s hand and kept eye contact. “You’re okay,” Hiro repeated.  
  
Tadashi’s jagged breathing began to even out just a little and his grip on the handlebars loosened a minute bit. The ride began to move again and they were slowly tilted back upright again. The same thing kept happening at least eight more times. Tadashi and Hiro both were now used to this little rhythm that jilted them up and down and all around. “See, it’s fine, Tadashi,” Hiro said. And for a little while, Tadashi agreed with his little brother. At least, until it sped up and didn’t stop.  
  
The ride slung them back and forth and all around at speeds that made it a little hard to breathe. That didn’t stop either of them from screaming.  


  
After that ride was over, both Hiro and Tadashi were stumbling around and trying to regain their equilibrium. Tadashi led Hiro to a nearby bench. They both sat still and leaned back, trying to dispel the dizziness they were both feeling. “We are _never_ doing that again,” Tadashi groaned.  
  
“This time, I agree,” Hiro responded. He suddenly felt a little bit nauseous, but a few moments later it passed. He probably shouldn’t have eaten so much cake before leaving. A few more minutes and the two brothers were back on their feet searching for another ride. Well, Hiro was searching for another ride. Tadashi was hoping it wouldn’t be anything quite like what they’d just been on. It was more a nightmare than a fair ride; he didn’t understand how people could possibly love something like that or anything like it.  
  
Tadashi felt a tug at his sleeve. He looked over to Hiro, who was frantically pointing to another ride. It looked almost like a centrifuge and had a sign on it that said _The Ionic_. It certainly didn’t look like the worst thing and it definitely looked a lot better than that last ride did. After a bit of consideration, he said, “Alright.”  
  
Hiro grinned from ear to ear and dragged his brother towards the line. It was pretty long, stretching in front of several other stands that weren’t particularly close to begin with. Regardless, Hiro kept leading Tadashi to the end of the line. They must’ve walked at least a mile before actually getting there.  
  
Tadashi looked at the stand they were standing beside. “Hmm…” Balloon darts. He dug in his pocket for his wallet and took it out. He handed a dollar to the worker, who handed him three darts. He backed up a little ways behind a little piece of tape on the pavement. It was then that Hiro looked over to his older brother. “Tadashi, what are you doing?” he asked, perplexed by Tadashi’s actions.  
  
“Watch this,” Tadashi said, bringing his attention back to the dartboard. He took one dart from his left hand and cocked his arm. One small balloon was the target of his focus, and after a few seconds of careful preparation and calculation, he threw the dart. _Pop!_ Right on the mark. Hiro’s jaw dropped. It literally landed _right_ in the middle of the now deflated balloon. Tadashi continued like this for the other two throws, getting the balloons that were the tiniest from a pretty substantial distance.  
Even the worker was surprised by his accuracy. "What prize looks the best to you?" Tadashi asked Hiro, turning toward him. Hiro looked at the many stuffed animals. There was an elephant, a squid, a panda bear, a purple platypus, and a clownfish. Hiro pointed to the panda and gave an adorable gap-toothed grin.  
  
“Alright, the panda, please,” Tadashi told the worker. She reached up and unhooked one of the many pandas that were hanging above the dartboards, handing it to Tadashi. He then handed the large stuffed panda to Hiro. It was almost as big as he was, but it was really soft. He’d have to spray some of Tadashi’s cologne on it when they got home so it could be like he was _really_ cuddling his older brother. “Thanks, Tadashi,” Hiro giggled, snuggling into the panda.  
  
Tadashi smiled and looked at Hiro with eyes full of adoration. He loved his brother greatly and would do anything to keep him happy. Hiro looked really happy with his panda. Tadashi dug in his wallet again for another dollar. The line started moving again, so he had to give up that stand. Luckily, there were still quite a few more where that came from. When the line stopped again, they were in front of a milk toss. He looked at the different prizes. They weren’t too much different from the other stand’s prizes, but here they had more stuffed cows than anything. An interesting sales pitch and a relevant one at that.  
  
Tadashi handed the dollar in his hand to the man working this booth. The man then handed him three baseballs. This time, Hiro was watching his brother intently. Tadashi smiled at him and then honed his focus in on the stacked milk bottles. With the same accuracy and precision as before, all three stacks fell easily with loud _clinks_. The man behind the counter got a medium-sized stuffed cow and handed it to Tadashi. He handed this one to Hiro too, almost burying him in fluff. “Thanks, bro,” Hiro said, trying to juggle these two large stuffed animals and see where he was going.  
  
Tadashi smiled and handed the man yet another dollar for three more balls. A bit dumbfounded, Hiro asked, “Um, Tadashi? What are you doing?”  
  
“ _I_ am trying to show my brother a good time at the fair, what are _you_ doing?” Tadashi countered with a gleeful look. He took the balls in hand and repeated the routine of perfect throwing which scored him yet another cow-themed reward. Thankfully, this one was smaller than the last one and the line began moving again. He set the small cow in between the two other stuffed animals in Hiro’s arms.  
  
Hiro was beginning to get a bit embarrassed by the copious amount of stuffed animals Tadashi kept scoring. “Tadashi, please stop,” he pleaded softly. Tadashi didn’t hear it and gave another dollar away to a shooting gallery. He took up a BB rifle and began shooting at the little paper target, only missing the first one by a small margin. That kind of scared Hiro that his brother was able to use a gun well enough to win something else. He got a little blue and purple spotted squid from the rack and put it on the pile of stuffed animals. It was starting to get a bit heavy. _If Tadashi keeps this up for much longer, I’ll die…_  
  
But Tadashi just got at it again and again and again with perfect aim. Even more stuffed animals were added to the ever-growing mountain and each time, Hiro asked him to stop. Not soon enough, Tadashi set the rifle down and turned to Hiro. “Which one do you want, Hi-” His voice trailed off when he saw just a shaking pile of assorted stuffed animals. With the added weight of a pair of snakes, an eagle, and a few more bears, Hiro was laying under the weight of all the huge fluffy animals Tadashi had piled on top of him. “Are you finished, yet?” Hiro asked, slightly annoyed with his big brother.  
  
“O-Oh my,” Tadashi sheepishly said. He turned back to the worker. “J-Just keep it.” He then frantically began to pull Hiro out from underneath the stuffed animals, sending some of them toppling. He got his little brother back up on his feet and dusted off the front of his shirt. “Sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away,” Tadashi said, flustered now that he saw exactly how many things he had won.  
  
“Only a bit?” Hiro shot back. “What were you even thinking, getting this many stuffed animals?”  
  
Truth be told, Tadashi hadn’t been thinking logically about this. He’d only been acting on his impulse to keep Hiro happy, but it only ended up backfiring horribly. People were staring now. “I just wanted to make you happy,” Tadashi said, looking at the pile of stuffed animals. They’d have to do something about it because there was no way all of these toys could fit on his moped.  
  
Hiro sighed softly. Hearing Tadashi’s answer, it wasn’t worth him getting mad at his brother for. He’d only had Hiro’s best interests at heart. Plus, this whole adventure was on Tadashi’s dollar. There was no way he could be mad at him for that. “Okay… But we need to do something with these,” Hiro commented, motioning to the stuffed animals.  
  
Tadashi nodded. “We can give some of them away,” he added. It would be better this way. It would also be a lot less trouble to get home. He started to pick up some of the stuffed animals and Hiro did the same. They barely got them all picked up in time to keep up with the line. It stopped again, but next time they would be able to ride this ride. They’d have to start giving them away before the ride stopped again.  
  
Hiro and Tadashi started asking people that were passing if they wanted one of the stuffed animals. Most said yes, a few refused. The end result, however, was far less stuffed animals and a few swooning females. Now, the only one left was the original stuffed panda. Hiro held onto it tightly to make sure no one would take it from him. He’d never let anyone take the panda. “Alright, is that the only one left?” Tadashi asked. Hiro nodded, hugging the panda possessively.  
  
“Okay, we won’t give that one away,” Tadashi laughed. Hiro smiled brightly and the line began to move again. Finally, it was their turn! As soon as the line moved them to the front, they showed the worker their wristbands. She let them in, tipping her hat at Tadashi with a smile. Tadashi just smiled awkwardly and hurried to be with Hiro, who had already climbed into a car and was waving him over. He jogged over to his little brother and sat beside him and the giant bear. As soon as he got settled in the car, Tadashi grabbed the bar above their heads and pulled it down, locking it in place.  
  
Hiro hugged the bear with one arm and reached over for Tadashi’s hand with the other. When Tadashi felt his little brother’s hand on his, he laced their fingers together, feeling a bit of heat rush to his cheeks. Now they were both smiling like dorks, but no one else cared. The ride began to turn them around slowly, raising up all the cars. It gradually sped up, spinning them around like a mixer until they were both laughing like dorks in love on a fast-spinning fair ride.


	3. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the moment we've been waiting for! Hiro finally tells his true feelings to Tadashi, but what will he have to say about it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm sorry this has taken so long to get up. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, things are really going to heat up soon. Just as soon as I get some more motivation... Nevertheless, enjoy the chapter! ^^ I love and appreciate you all!

After a seemingly endless day of riding fast rides, eating cotton candy, and running amok, both Hiro and Tadashi had found themselves at the top of a huge ferris wheel. The view was second to none. They could see all the giant kites flying above San Fransokyo as if they were flying up there with them. The ocean sparkled with the illumination of the city lights. The moon was beginning to rise over the water, and the two brothers were cuddled close to watch her gentle light. That, and it had gotten substantially colder since earlier.  
  
“So, have you had fun today?” Tadashi asked. He looked over at his brother with eyes full of adoration. He already knew the answer to that question, but he did want to ask. He always had to make sure.  
  
Hiro smiled, still looking into the distance. “Yeah, it was pretty fun,” he answered, suddenly looking down at his lap. He started twiddling his thumbs together and biting his lip. _Just say it…_ “Um, Tadashi?” Hiro’s voice was timid and wavering slightly and heat was flooding his cheeks.  
  
Tadashi tilted his head and replied, “What is it, Hiro?” Now he was beginning to get concerned. He really wondered what had to be going on inside that big brain of Hiro’s that could get him like this. Hiro just looked so… nervous. Had something happened to his baby brother?  
  
Hiro hugged the panda tightly and snuggled up more to Tadashi. “I, uh…” Hiro’s voice trailed off, but he cleared his throat and started again. “I love you, Tadashi.” He looked up into his brother’s eyes with a slightly scared, wide-eyed look. Paired with such a strong blush, Tadashi thought Hiro looked absolutely adorable and irresistible. A small blush painted Tadashi’s cheeks too, but he then realized that love between brothers was normal. “I love you too, Hiro, but where are you going with this?” Tadashi asked, a little confused. He loved Hiro with all his heart, so why was he pointing it out now?  
  
Hiro pursed his lips and worked up a little more nerve. “I mean, I _love_ love you. Like… Like more than brothers should,” he muttered, looking back out to the water. Maybe Tadashi didn’t feel the same way. But Hiro felt ten pounds lighter now that he’d gotten that off his chest. Now all that was left was the crushing rejection. Hiro knew Tadashi probably wouldn’t feel the same way. He’d always been the more serious of the two, and this was certainly a serious matter. Plus, he’d gotten to know quite a few of Tadashi’s girlfriends, which meant that he’d already had one thing wrong. Tears stung at his eyes as if to deal a final blow. _How could this get any worse?_  
  
So that’s what Hiro thought. Tadashi put his hand on Hiro’s small shoulder, pulling him closer and placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “I thought I was the only one that felt this way,” Tadashi whispered with a smile. He turned a little bit in the seat and turned Hiro’s face towards his. With his thumb, he gently wiped away the tears that were streaming down his brother’s face. “Don’t cry, Hiro,” he pleaded, giving his brother a look of complete understanding and utter relief.  
  
“But… I thought you…” Hiro started. There were no words he could find to finish these sentences. Words weren’t enough to capture how he felt right then. He didn’t even know what he felt. It was like every emotion, both good and bad, were exploding in his chest to create a cacophonous symphony.  
  
Tadashi smiled gently. “I guess you could say I’m good at hiding things,” he said, placing another kiss on Hiro’s forehead. From there, he gently kissed Hiro’s nose, both his cheeks, moving finally to his lips. There, time stopped. Bliss washed over Hiro as he sank into this marvelous kiss. His brother tasted like cotton candy, and that sweetness melted Hiro to the core. All too soon, those soft cotton candy lips were removed from his. Hiro just stared, misty-eyed, at Tadashi. Slowly, a smile crept up on his face. Hiro leapt for his brother, kissing him again with his arms wrapped around Tadashi’s neck. They kept kissing gently until the ferris wheel moved and startled them apart.  
  
Hiro then let out a guttural laugh, happy that he finally got to share all these feelings with Tadashi. He was glad that Tadashi felt the same way, glad that they were in love. The world was a good place tonight. The ferris wheel stopped again higher than midway down, so they still had a view and no one looking in on them. Hiro scooted back over to Tadashi and leaned up against his chest. Right here, Hiro could hear his brother’s strong heartbeat; it was deep, rhythmic, fluttering, but pronounced. _Mmmmm…_ Hiro closed his eyes and smiled. If this is what happiness was made of, then he wanted to stay like this forever.  
  
When the ferris wheel started moving again and didn’t stop, Tadashi nudged Hiro. “Hey, we gotta be careful,” Tadashi said. Hiro pouted. He didn’t want to get up yet, but he understood that much. Reluctantly, he sat up straight but he stayed close to Tadashi because it was still kind of cold. The car kept plunging but never seemed to reach the bottom, which only flared Hiro’s impatience. He wanted to cuddle up to his brother now! He tapped his fingers against his leg, glancing all around as the people on the ground got closer and louder.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity to Hiro, they finally dipped down and around and were sent back up. Hiro could finally let out the breath he’d been holding. While he usually maintained a nonchalant attitude, he cared a lot what other people thought of him, especially when what they thought of him might cause him bodily harm. Being near Tadashi helped with his anxiety, but he still felt it. When they were safely out of sight, Hiro snuggled right back up to him with a smile on his face.  
  
  
  
Tadashi carefully navigated the streets of San Fransokyo with both Hiro and a giant stuffed bear sleeping on the back of his moped. It had been such a long day at the fair and he was really feeling the fatigue that came along with it. When did he really become the grown-up? It seemed like it never happened until now, but he knew it had always been like this. They pulled in to the Lucky Cat Café’s tiny garage and parked. Tadashi nudged Hiro gently, which roused a tiny groan from his little brother.  
  
“Hiro, we’re home,” Tadashi quietly said. Hiro groaned again, not wanting to be woken up. Tadashi sighed and gave a helpless smile. So it would be the same thing he always resorted to when Hiro was too tired to walk or if he got hurt or sick while in town. Setting Hiro’s arms over his shoulders, Tadashi carefully picked Hiro up from off the back of the moped. It was a bit more of a challenge picking the bear up with him but it certainly wasn’t hard. He looked up at the analog clock on the wall over the work station. It was 9:53. They’d made it on time.  
  
When he finally got the door open, Tadashi said, “Aunt Cass, we’re home.” No reply. He closed the door with his foot and navigated his way through the café. There were still a few lights on down there, maybe she was upstairs watching her sappy romance movies with Mochi or something. That in mind, Tadashi marched up the first flight of stairs. “Aunt Cass?” he called again. Still nothing but near-silence.  
  
There was a tiny sound coming from somewhere within the house, probably the TV. He crept closer toward the living room and heard another sound. Peering around the wall, he saw Aunt Cass snoring through Jersey Shore (Jersey Snore) while Mochi slept on her. With a smile, Tadashi shook his head. “Oh Aunt Cass…” he whispered, silently creeping past her to go up to their room. He’d come back down later to get her to bed.  
  
As soon as he reached their room, Tadashi gently laid Hiro down on his bed and covered him up. He also settled the huge panda under the covers next to his baby brother. Through all that, Hiro only grunted a few times before settling beneath the covers. “Goodnight, Knucklehead,” he whispered. He placed a gentle kiss on Hiro’s forehead and headed back downstairs to take care of Aunt Cass.  
  
  
  
“Mmm…”  
  
Hiro slowly surfaced from a shallow sleep. It was still dark. The sound of gentle, descending footsteps reached his ears. Wait, when did he get back home? Weren’t they still on the moped? He looked over to Tadashi’s empty bed. Where was he? A large lump beside him in his bed caught his eye and made him blush a little. “Dashi…?” whispered Hiro. He reached over to what or whoever was sharing his bed, disappointed when he felt soft fur beneath his fingers. It was just the bear. Then he remembered his plan.  
  
Very quietly, Hiro got out of bed. He tiptoed towards Tadashi’s side of the room, being careful not to bump into anything. He didn’t want to let anyone know he was sneaking around. These squeaky floorboards weren’t helping his stealth mission. “It should be around here somewhere…” Hiro mumbled, searching around the shelves for Tadashi’s cologne. Aha, there! He quickly snatched up the cold glass bottle, practically running back over to his side of the room. Fumbling with the cap, he noticed that there wasn’t much liquid left. _Maybe I’ll get him some more tomorrow._  
  
Hiro uncovered the bear and began to frugally spritz the soft fabric with Tadashi’s cologne. After only a few sprays, he recapped the bottle, satisfied with that pleasantly sweet yet spicy smell that was now wafting all around the room. Tiptoeing back over to Tadashi’s side of the room, he replaced the bottle in its original position and tiptoed back to his bed. He climbed back in bed with the bear and snuggled up to it. “Mmm…” He closed his eyes and drifted off again with Tadashi’s scent strong in his nose.


	4. Constellation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After admitting his feelings to Tadashi, Hiro couldn't be happier. What could lie in store for this lovely new romance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this chapter starts, I apologize to you for not updating sooner. Life is stressful and busy, and I hate to keep you waiting because of it. A little drabble about the title of this chapter: while the name constellation means pictures in the stars, it also defines fate. That's partly what made this word stick out to me in terms of titles. The rest will be left up to you to find! Either way, I hope you, dear reader, enjoy this story!

Drifting through darkness was very relaxing. Nothing to do but look up at an endless void, occasionally dashed with light. Like being on a boat, Hiro felt the sensation of gentle rocking. Cool, smooth water surrounded him, urging him to dip his hands and feet in and let them glide through the water. He couldn't move, but it didn't matter. This was a place of rest and of comfortable solitude. He thought he heard something. The darkness tugged him back, surrounding him with a familiar scent. " _Tadashi..."_ he remembered. It was Tadashi's scent. He could never mistake that. But where was he? It didn't matter. He heard something again, this time louder. He only caught the end part of his name. A tiny, flickering light in the distance bade him closer. As if by command, he began drifting toward the light. The light got brighter, the rocking got much harsher. He tried to shield his eyes, but they wouldn't move. He... There was another standing over there. Shadowy, indistinct, but... What were those things on his head? 

"Hiro!" The voice and a shaking sensation ripped him out of that faded darkness. Now, only garish daylight flooded his vision. "I'm awake, I'm awake," he grumbled. He wiped the sand from his eyes and blinked a few times. Tadashi came into focus, along with the blaring sunlight pouring into their room. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the comforter over his head. "Too bright..." Hiro mumbled. 

Hiro thought he heard Tadashi sigh right before the covers were thrown off. Hiro just turned to lay face-down on the pillow. 

"You're not going to make this easy, are you, Knucklehead?" Tadashi asked. Hiro grunted. Tadashi shook his head. "Do I have to go get the ice water?" Tadashi deviously asked. With those words, Hiro jolted up, shaking his head. Tadashi replied with a smile, "Good." Hiro felt a soft pair of lips on his own, taking a moment to register whose they were. Hot blood rushed to his face, which he ended up covering with his hands. "Come down whenever you're ready. Oh, and good morning, little brother." Tadashi winked and headed back down the stairs. Hiro had to sit there for a moment and piece together what all had just happened. Weren't the two of them still strictly familial? The memories from yesterday came rushing back to him. "Oh right..." That realization made him giddy enough to wake up fully now. Without much hesitation, he stepped onto the floor and stretched with a groan. Once finished with that trifle, he headed down the stairs. Well, thundered is more like it. What else would you expect from a teenage boy? 

Nevertheless, Aunt Cass and Tadashi greeted him with smiles and cheerful good mornings. Then Tadashi started talking about something the Nerd Gang was working on at SFIT. Hiro didn't pay that much attention to that. Now those chocolate chip waffles were smelling delicious and looking absolutely perfect, and the sizzling of eggs and sausage in the pan was music to his ears. He knew they were his; neither Tadashi or Aunt Cass cared for chocolate. Right after that moment of happiness, however, was a bad feeling, and a fleeting memory that refused to stay wholly with him. The only thing he remembered was a shadowy figure standing in bright light, trying to call him to it. What did that even mean? What could anything like that possibly mean? "Hiro?" Tadashi asked. Both he and Aunt Cass were looking a little concerned. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry 'bout that. Looks good, Aunt Cass!" Hiro said with slightly exaggerated enthusiasm. Aunt Cass sighed, gave him a warm smile and a knowing look, and handed him a plate of waffles, eggs, and sausage. Hiro accepted the plate of food and Aunt Cass turned back around and got back to making breakfast. Even though Aunt Cass was resigned to let him say something if he needed to, Tadashi quietly observed him from his place at the table. Hiro noticed and poked at the waffle placed before him. He hit a molten chocolate chip and it began bleeding to the surface. Internally, he debated on whether or not to say anything about the dream he'd had. Stuffing his face with waffles, he decided to keep quiet about it for now. 

"Mmm, these are great," Hiro said, melting into the flavor. This was his favorite breakfast in the world. That bad feeling that seemed to linger had evaporated, and he was left with a fresh, clean feeling for this morning. Tadashi noted the change and smiled, ruffled Hiro's already messy hair, and got back to his own breakfast. 

"I'm glad you like them," Aunt Cass replied with a cheery smile. Hiro always wondered why she was such a morning person. There was no way that anyone could be so happy first thing in the morning. It didn't matter. The feeling was becoming contagious. With all the sunlight pouring in through the big windows, the Earth seemed like the most inviting place today. 

"Oh, Hiro, you still haven't opened your presents from yesterday," Tadashi said with a mouthful of buttered toast. He motioned to the pile of presents on the couch in the other room. Hiro's eyes lit up in mute anticipation and he tried shoving the rest of his waffle in his face. He'd been waiting for this long before his birthday, and it was finally time to open all the colorfully wrapped boxes and bags of gifts that people had gotten him. "Woah, woah, slow down there, partner," Aunt Cass urged. "They'll still be there if you finish your breakfast normally. I promise they don't have legs." 

Slightly disheartened, Hiro slowed down a bit. Admittedly, it wouldn't do much good to choke on a waffle and die before getting to open those presents. With a grunt, he said, "Fine." Trying to eat as quickly as he could without alarming Tadashi or Aunt Cass, he made fairly quick work of the remainder. With the waffle gone, he chugged down the glass of orange juice that had he just noticed sitting there for him. Setting the glass back down on the table a little harshly, he scrambled out of his chair and ran into the living room. The two adults followed him, albeit slower because you can't just leave a pan on the stovetop to do something else. That's usually a very bad thing to do. All that fire and whatnot. 

Aunt Cass picked up a camera from the peninsula where she'd left it yesterday while Hiro nestled into his nest of boxes. "Oh man, which one should I open first?" he asked. He sifted through the boxes, trying to find the perfect one to open first. That small one with red paper and a bow looked promising. He picked it up and read the tag, clearly in Tadashi's handwriting. It read, " _To my favorite little brother, happy birthday_ ". There was a little smiley face drawn on there too, which made Hiro laugh. Usually his brother didn't bother with little trifles like drawing a smiley face on gift tags, though they had just turned a new leaf. Maybe this was a part of it? It didn't matter. 

Throwing the deep thoughts out, he began to tear into the paper. A small black box lay beneath the false skin of the paper, and there were gold letters on the top of the box. _Rolex._ "Holy..." Hiro muttered. How did Tadashi get _that_ kind of money? On the inside, a silver wristwatch rested. Silver and black, with a single ruby at the top of the interior face. He strapped it on his wrist very carefully, thinking that if he touched it too hard it would break. Such was his luck with most things. As soon as it was on, he jumped up and hugged Tadashi. "Thanks! I love it!" he squealed. With his forward momentum, the watch nearly came off of his tiny wrist. Tadashi hugged back, laughing a little nervously. Aunt Cass snapped a picture.

"You really like it?" Tadashi asked. It wasn't entirely necessary to ask, but Hiro knew how inwardly scared his brother was about not getting the exact right thing. Normally, he would just watch for Hiro's reactions to different things, so it was a little weird to hear him voice up the concern. "I just said I loved it, and I won't take it back," Hiro reassured. "I just wonder how you afforded something like this..." Hiro looked down at the watch. His reflection stared back at him. Tadashi just shook his head. "That's for me to know and you not to worry about."

"Let me see," Aunt Cass vied. Hiro turned the watch face toward her with a smile as she snapped another photo. "Beautiful!" she cried with the biggest grin on her face. "Grab another," Tadashi suggested. With a smile, Hiro nodded and reached for the biggest box. Pulling it over was a challenge. "It's really heavy..." he grunted. He got it as close as he could before getting disgruntled with the package, so he just got up and sat on the floor. Clutching at the diagonally-striped paper, he began to rip it without much hesitation. There wasn't much of a way to tell what was inside the box since (he hoped) it didn't match the contents. Needless to say, a soothing foot spa was _not_ on his wishlist.

"Open it, open it," Aunt Cass urged. This must be something that she got him. The way she was vibrating with excitement gave that away. He pulled the tape off of the top of the box, set it aside, and peeked in the box as he opened the flaps. What he saw inside was better than a heyday; it was heaven. Scrap parts of so many different machines of all different shapes and sizes and models-- it was more than he could've wished for. On top of the pile, there were also a few small motors and new computer chips.

He started happily rummaging through the box and pulled out various parts, mumbling names and ideas and everything he could think of that had to do with robots. The camera snapped another picture. He would definitely have to build a friend for Megabot with these. Putting the parts back down in the box, he gave a gap-toothed grin to Aunt Cass and ran over to hug her. "Thanks, Aunt Cass! I'm gonna build so many things with these!" he squealed, squeezing her tighter. She just laughed and replied with, "You're welcome, Hiro. Build us lots of cool things."

"You know I will," Hiro replied with a grin. 

The rest of that morning was filled with squeals and groans, that being directly proportional to the number of clothes he got. He wore one outfit. _JUST_ one. And that was all he really needed. Either way, he was still thankful that these people actually left something. About as thankful as a teenage boy could be, anyways. 

  
-  


"Tonight, it's just you and me, little brother," Tadashi said. They were sitting side by side on Tadashi's bed, relatively close and certainly flustered. There was relatively little privacy in the cafe, but with Aunt Cass working down below in the store, he was sure no one could hear. But sometimes, it wasn't enough to convince Hiro. This was one of those times. They had barely started this new relationship, which was a scary first no matter how you looked at it. Being brothers was another huge scare. Pile all of that on top of the chance that you might get caught doing the diddly _with your brother_... Even so, he was still kind of excited about everything. This would be their 1st-and-a-half date!

"So... we're going to that fancy restaurant uptown, and then we're going to a botfight, right?" Hiro asked. He was really hoping that Tadashi would say yes. They were a quick and easy way to make money, plus they were a lot of fun to do. With the restaurant tab sure to be expensive, it made the most sense to make some money back. "No, Hiro, no botfights. Remember what happened last time?" Tadashi gave him that look that mothers get when they're trying to get you nervous. Hiro sighed heavily and with a dramatic frown, he fell back on the bed with a bounce. "Of course I remember. It's hard to forget when you're always reminding me of it." He crossed his arms and turned away, play-pouting about it. In truth, it was hard to forget something as big or as loud as Little Yama. 

Tadashi put a hand on Hiro's shoulder, slowly asking, "Is that what you really wanna do?" Hiro grumpily nodded, looking over his shoulder at his brother. He didn't look too enthusiastic about doing this, but he gave a half-hearted smile. That didn't stop the worried look from coming through. Behind Tadashi, Hiro thought he saw a shadow of something flicker across the window, but before he could pin what it was, it was gone. _Weird. It seemed familiar..._ "Hiro?" Tadashi prodded. Hiro just sat back up, still staring at the window across the room. A flash of memory reminded him of the fear that the thing had given him this morning and sent chills through his core.

"Ooon second thought... Maybe we shouldn't," Hiro tensely said. That got quite a look from Tadashi. 

"You don't want to go to a botfight? You, Hiro, my brother, the one who always sneaks out to go botfighting? Am I hearing that right?" Tadashi asked. There was no way that could've been right. But Hiro slowly nodded, refusing to meet his brother's gaze. "Never thought I'd hear that, but I'm glad to hear that you came to your senses. It's really dangerous, especially after getting caught last time." 

Hiro couldn't argue with that. The scrap with the law that time had diminished his love for botfighting, but it hadn't taken the fire completely. No, that seemed to be left to the shadow. And surprisingly, it did it well. He couldn't shake the feeling that if they did, something really bad would happen.

"I'll just get ready then," Tadashi said, going to his side of the room and closing the divider with a wink. Hiro blushed a bit at that. He'd seen his brother like that many times, but not really in the same context. It seemed like everything before was of a very diminished quality in the sense that Tadashi was actually indulging him now. Before, it had just been stolen glances, peeks at what could be but couldn't be. But now it was, and that got Hiro happy again. He felt a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his burning cheeks. He let it. He got up off his bed and walked to the small armoire that Aunt Cass had lugged in here for them and took out his only suit. It was neatly pressed on the hanger, which wasn't how he had left it originally. He shook his head at that. Aunt Cass really did her best to look after the two of them while trying to run a successful business. He wondered how she did it sometimes. 

Pulling the suit out, he closed the armoire and started taking it off the hanger. An almost unnoticeable film of dust coated it, announcing it's disuse. Nonetheless, Hiro began to try it on. Dinner was, of course, going to be hours away, but he wanted to get a feel for this monkey suit if he was going to be wearing it for more than five minutes. Tugging on the pants was the most difficult part. "Jeez, what did she use to press this? Gorilla glue?" Hiro mumbled. He could see his leg was almost through. Just one final push! 

"Hiro?" 

Hiro screamed and jumped out of his pants high enough to almost hit the ceiling. "Tadashi! You could've at least given me some warning!" he squealed, his heartbeat fluttering for two reasons now. He was lucky the bed had been there for him to catch his balance on, otherwise he would've ended up face first on the floor. Picking the pants up off the floor, he tossed them on the bed and went to get a fresh pair of shorts. "I didn't realize you'd become so skittish," Tadashi stated matter-of-factly. 

"I'm not," Hiro responded, pulling the shorts to his waist. He looked back at Tadashi with a pout. "I just wanted that," he motioned to the suit, "to be a surprise, I guess."

"Whatever you say, little brother," Tadashi said. He walked over to Hiro and tousled his already-tousled hair, and was about to go down the stairs. Hiro smiled, but also wondered where the extra part was that had now been instated. "Um, Tadashi? Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked sheepishly. He crossed his hands behind his back and gave his older brother the cutest look he could muster. Tadashi responded with that look he always got when he was trying to figure something out. It was a subtle change that only Hiro could detect. He saw realization set in, but he didn't move. 

"Hmm, I don't think I forgot anything," Tadashi finally replied. 

Hiro lightly stomped his foot, cheeks puffed in annoyance. "Oh, come on, 'Dashi..." Hiro whined. He crossed his arms to reestablish his pouty mood. 

Tadashi gave a slightly lopsided smile, the one that Hiro loved so much, and said, "I can't say no to that, can I?" He headed back over to his little brother and wrapped his arms around him, gently kissing his forehead. He then moved to kiss Hiro's nose, followed by both cheeks, and finally his lips. This kiss he lingered on, much to Hiro's excitement. Both of them melted into it, Hiro's soft lips against Tadashi's, and for awhile, everything around them didn't matter. When Tadashi finally pulled away, it left Hiro feeling empty, but he knew he had to let his brother go to the Nerd School for absolute nerds. With a smile and a nod, Tadashi started down the stairs. Hiro rushed after him and wrapped his arms around his older brother once more, saying, "Last hug," and letting him go. 

And this time, Hiro smiled as he watched his brother's broad back get further and further away.

  
-  


After trying to get into the suit four times, Hiro was about to call it quits. He'd grown a little since the last time he'd worn it, but there was no way that he could've grown this much. Plus, the copious amount of starch in it didn't help. Sitting on the floor with a groan, he grasped the suit in his hands tightly. "Jeez, they can never make this easy..." he sulked. There was no way the suit could be washed and dried in time to make their reservation at the restaurant, and there was no other tuxedo in the whole apartment that would fit him. He would've just gone in his everyday clothes, but the restaurant wouldn't allow him in with that. He learned that from experience a long time ago. At about that time, Aunt Cass peeked around the corner.

"Hey there, birthday boy, how's it coming?" Aunt Cass asked. She looked down at the stiff suit, seeing it was almost as straight as it had been on the hanger. "Ohh... Must have overdone it with the starch again," she followed, embarrassed. 

"Yeah, a little bit... What could I wear? This is the only fancy thing I have! They won't let me in if I'm not dressed up!" wailed Hiro. "What can I do?" 

"Hmm, I might have an idea..." Aunt Cass replied. A sly look was beginning to spread across her face. That look could only mean one thing. Hiro was really starting to regret saying anything about it.

  
-  


"There we go, cute as a button!" 

Hiro didn't think so (he did, but he won't admit it). Even though the dress was a flattering cut and a lovely garnet hue, Hiro still didn't like it (on the surface anyways). Aunt Cass had not only pulled the dress out for him, but she'd also done his hair into two little pigtails. It was clear that she had always wanted a girl, so this was pretty normal since Hiro was still cute enough to pass for a girl. Over the years, he'd grown accustomed to being dressed in more feminine clothing, and it was even starting to grow on him a little. But he wouldn't admit that to anyone, especially Aunt Cass. 

"Cheer up, sweetie, you'll at least be able to go now," Aunt Cass said, patting Hiro's bare shoulder. "I know it's not your first choice, but I think it looks lovely on you." She draped a short red jacket over his shoulders. It looked like it went with the dress, but who knew? Aunt Cass practically collected dresses for no other purpose than dressing Hiro up like this. So far, her favorite seemed to be the Lolita style, "because it suits you" she always said. It made him start to wonder if what had happened with the suit was purely intentional. 

Tossing that thought aside, Hiro nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, I guess it looks alright," he said. He remembered something else, looking in that mirror at his image, now clad in a dress. Tadashi would always get a little nervous when he saw his adorable little brother in a dress, though it was more like he would forget what basic cognitive function was. Not that it was a problem for either of them, really, because they both got what they wanted out of it. And now, Hiro was sure that he could stretch that just a little to include just a little bit more. _It doesn't matter._ They'd both get everything they sought. _It's just for one night._ He lightly slapped his cheeks to get some color back in them and smiled confidently. With a determined sigh, he was ready. And as he turned to leave, he thought he saw something sparkling in the light.

Hiro had spent nearly an eternity waiting upstairs for Tadashi to finally get back so they could go. How long could it take for one nerd to get back? He was sure Tadashi had told everyone about his arrangements, without specific details of course, so what could possibly take this long?

As if on cue, Hiro heard Tadashi's familiar footsteps coming up the stairs. A sudden wave of nervousness hit him hard, shaking him to his core with ice and making his skin feel hot. As soon as he saw his older brother's figure lapse through the entryway, it didn't matter anymore. "Hey, H-" Tadashi's voice trailed off after he laid eyes on his brother. A thin trickle of blood flowed from Tadashi's nose. 

"Uh, Tadashi? You got a little something..." Hiro said, wiping one finger under his nose to illustrate the point. Tadashi put his hand up like Hiro demonstrated, wiping the blood off of his upper lip. At that sight, Tadashi got a little frantic, running into his side of the room for a tissue. Hiro rolled his eyes with a smile. "What a dork," he mumbled. But Tadashi was his dork.

Tadashi came back over to Hiro with a slightly red tissue, saying, "Heh, sorry about that. Y-you look lovely tonight, little brother." Hiro blushed a little at the compliment. "Thanks, i-it was, uh, Aunt Cass' idea," Hiro responded. It was a little strange that Tadashi was acting a lot more composed than usual in this situation. It didn't make much sense, but now, it didn't matter. "Let me just get ready, and we'll go," Tadashi said, kissing Hiro's forehead gently. He went back over to his side of the room and halfway closed the divider. Hiro couldn't help but to peek a little bit. Leaning over, he saw a glimpse that he never thought he'd see again. The shirt came off, exposing Tadashi's bare back. Hiro got a container filled with glitter and sprinkled it in front of this view. That perfect back that was now all his... It took a lot of restraint on Hiro's part to not just barge in and wrap his arms around his brother. However, he was also hungry and didn't want dinner to be cancelled.

"Hurryyyy," Hiro whined. "I'm staaaarrrrrviiinnnnggg." He laid back on the bed dramatically to emphasize his point. That, and he had a better view of the pants coming off from here.

"Okay, okay, I'll hurry," Tadashi replied. He hurriedly started pulling on the suit he'd laid out on the bed. Hiro was a little sorry to see that view go, but his hunger was over 9000. Within a minute, Tadashi reemerged from his part of the room clean cut and ready to go. Hiro jumped up with glee in his heart, ready to have dinner. Like a true gentleman, Tadashi let Hiro go first. He nearly tripped in the kitten heels Aunt Cass had given him (he tried running down the stairs), so Tadashi held his hand the rest of the way down. Aunt Cass was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, hands clasped below her chin and an excited look on her face. "I'm so excited for you two, you both just look so cute" she cried, hugging them both. Pulling out her iPhone, she turned the two boys around and snapped a quick selfie with the two goobers in it. "Have fun tonight, be safe!"

"We will," the boys replied in unison. Another flight of stairs, this time with a more careful Hiro and Tadashi holding on to him just to be sure. Aunt Cass smiled lovingly as they disappeared down the stairs. The door opened and closed. Mochi jumped up on the counter and Aunt Cass went over to him, petting the butterball turkey cat gently. "They're crazy, but I love them both," she confided. The cat meowed in response.

Stepping through the door, Hiro didn't expect a car to be waiting out front for the two of them. Not just any car either; the one they were about to get in was a Ferrari. Classy, elegant, and certainly showy enough to be pulling into that restaurant. It made sense that they wouldn't just ride the moped, even though that was the only vehicle they had. This was a pleasant surprise. "Wow, look at this..." Hiro mumbled, walking around the outside of the car, marveling at all of the external features. Tadashi just rolled his eyes with a smile. With some of those parts, Hiro might try to build his own car with a definite robotic flair. Tucking the thought away, he walked over to Hiro, led him to the door of the car, and opened it for him to get in. With a puff, Hiro climbed in carefully. He didn't want to flash the neighborhood, though it was a tempting thought for Tadashi. Maybe later. When they were both in the car, it sped off into a nearly starless night. Out the window, Hiro thought he could just barely see the three stars that made up Orion's belt. 

  


Pulling up to The Rosy Oak was almost like a dream. Pale lighting washed the surrounding environment in a soothing light. Everything here was fancy; they had valet parking services and a red carpet leading to the front door. Fancily dressed couples dotted the entrance, no doubt waiting for their turn or arguing about some nebulous concept before they got their table or met with the mayor or whatever it was that rich people did. Almost too quickly, they pulled in to the carport. The driver, which Hiro had never seen before, put the car in park and stepped out and around to their side of the car. He opened the door and Tadashi climbed out, doing that whole bro-handshake-hug thing with muttered thanks. With both of their help, Hiro daintily stepped out of the back. Being here was like being in a dream; the light made everything look hazy, and the grandeur reminded him how much they couldn't afford this lifestyle. But for one night, it was fun to pretend. For one night, it didn't matter. 

With a nod and a shy thanks, Hiro took a deep breath and composed himself. Tadashi offered his arm and Hiro took it. Together, they walked into the Rosy Oak while suit-clad men held the door open for them. The two gave a slight nod to the doormen without stopping. Hiro looked around the place; seeing this made the outside look like a shantytown. From the high ceilings, large crystalline chandeliers glowed, bathing the place in warm, gentle light. Candles lit every table, their hurricanes decorated with an artful assortment of vining roses, oak leaves, and acorns. The tables themselves were made of varying sizes of oak cross-sections that had been sealed with polymer. The chairs and decor, of course, matched. "Reservations, please?" requested a suited man behind the counter.

"Oh, uh, Hamada," Tadashi said. 

"One moment please," the man said, making a few clicks on the computer in front of him. Looking a little closer, Hiro could see the nametag on his coat. _Charles, huh?_

After a few more seconds, Charles said, "Ah, yes. Right this way then." 

Charles led the way through an arrangement of tables to an empty one near the back of the dining room. A few people cast odd glances toward them but otherwise paid no mind to the brothers. Though they weren't staring, Hiro felt their silent judgement on them for any number of reasons he could only guess at. Were their clothes right for this occasion, or did they just appear ratty in the face of millionaires and billionaires? Could they see through the guise that Hiro was male? Or maybe they had noticed that the two of them looked too similar, too conspicuous. It didn't matter. Tonight, they would have a good time, rich people aside. 

"Hiro?" Tadashi asked. _That worried look again..._

"Yeah, sorry," Hiro said. He wished his brother couldn't see right through him every time some small thing changed.

Tadashi didn't buy that. Hiro could see that he was trying to look deeper, so he diverted his gaze to a wood carved bear statue against the wall. "Come on, Hiro, there's obviously something wrong," Tadashi said. 

Hiro just puffed his cheeks in response. He didn't want to talk about this right now, and certainly not in earshot of anyone around. Thankfully, the waiter came back to save him from spilling the beans. In his hands was a bottle of an expensive-looking virgin wine. With a half-hearted smile and thanks, Tadashi turned back to Hiro. "Well, if you don't want to talk about it right now, that's okay. Just, promise you'll tell me later," Tadashi said softly. 

Hiro nodded with a small smile. Right! Tonight would be a great night, because they were both here and mostly happy, so why should worries matter?

  
-  


After dinner, Hiro and Tadashi laughed their way out of the restaurant. During dinner, Hiro had accidentally flipped a meatball into some pompous lady's hair, which she didn't realize at first. When the ample sauce that had been on it had trickled down on to her forehead, it was hard to keep from guffawing as such a sight. Needless to say, it got very loud after that, because her husband had mistaken it for an alien. All in all, it was a good night. Their ride was already waiting for them outside, the door open. Hiro climbed in first and Tadashi followed, setting the seat back up straight. The door closed, and the driver went back around to the driver's side of the car. Peeking out the window, Hiro could see the distant reflections off of the giant motorized kites that flew high above San Fransokyo. On top of a red and purple one, something flickered. The sinking feeling returned. He was sure that it meant something, but he couldn't remember where. Whatever it was, it creeped him out. 

The car began to move slowly out of The Rosy Oak's parking lot, and with it went the flickering. It seemed like it had turned away and disappeared, like a ghost. Maybe now it would stop appearing everywhere. Though it was gone, the awful feeling still lingered. 

Hiro felt a hand on his lower thigh. He looked over to Tadashi, who was smiling gently at him in that way that always made Hiro melt. He smiled awkwardly back at his brother. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you really are?" Tadashi asked. 

"U-um," Hiro stammered. His memory completely blanked. He shrugged nervously. 

"Well then, let me tell you now," he said. 

Soon, their lips connected gently, and once again, Hiro melted into the sensation. If it would take the feeling away for a moment, he'd do this forever. He'd do it forever anyways, but that's beside the point. This time, though, nothing changed. Tadashi sensed it. He pulled away, wondering if it was the mood from before coming back or if it was something he had forced on his little brother. 

"I'm sorry, Tadashi," Hiro said, looking down. "It's nothing you did... It's just..." Hiro didn't know how to say it. 

Tadashi looked at him and smiled. "It's okay, little brother. Take your time." 

Hiro took a deep breath and clenched his hands, then released the tension. "I've just had a, uh, bad feeling about today. Something doesn't feel right," Hiro explained. "There was also this weird shadow, I think? I don't know, but something isn't right." 

Tadashi thought about it for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Have you been watching horror movies again?" he asked, concerned. 

"Well..." Hiro said sheepishly. He had stayed up for a little bit of a robot monster movie marathon on tv the other night. "That's beside the point!" 

The feeling got worse and worse. Hiro felt like he was going to be sick. 

"Hiro!" Tadashi screamed. Hiro didn't hear it. He didn't hear anything until a horrid sound filled his ears. 

Crunching metal, screeching tires, and then nothing. A few other, smaller sounds came. Hiro slowly turned his head toward his brother. _Why are you sitting like that..._

It didn't matter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely wanted the story to go this way. I know you might not like me for it now, but don't worry. This is not the end. I hope I didn't hurt any of you too badly! Either way, thank you for sticking with my series for so long! It's definitely not as actively updated as I would have liked it to be, but I'm happy to have all of your support while writing this. ^^ Also, the word hurricane in this context means a glass candle holder, for those who were confused about why there would be tropical storms on every table.


	5. Dawning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aunt Cass learns of the events that befell her nephews. Twenty years later, Hiro and Tadashi will meet again under different circumstances. What could possibly happen in the face of reincarnation? Will they find out who they were?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! Man, writing this sure gives mixed emotions. On one hand, I'm happy to have actually completed a story for once in my life. On the other, I'm kinda sad I have to end it here (and also that I had to write the last chapter like I did, I'm sorry if I accidentally killed any of you! I promise this whole thing will end happily.) No matter what I'm feeling though, I hope those of you that have read this far will like this last installment!

Someone knocked on the door, startling Aunt Cass awake. Pushing up stiffly from the couch, she shouted, "Just a minute!" Despite that, another knock came. "Tadashi must've forgot his key," she mumbled, stretching. When did she fall asleep, anyways? 

She looked at the tv. The movie she had been watching was just finishing. For whatever reason, Cass always fell asleep during this part. With a little huff, she rushed down the stairs and Mochi followed. The clock read 9:43. Since it was still dark out, she mustn't have been out too long. She unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Welcome ho- oh, hello," she said. Two officers stood in the doorway. 

"Cass Hamada?" the male officer asked. His voice was gravelly. 

With a puzzled look, she responded, "Yes. What brings you here? It wouldn't be my doughnuts, would it? If that's the case, you'll have to come back during store hours." 

They both looked demure, like they were holding something back. Now that Cass thought about it, the law usually never gives a home visit unless there's something going on. 

"No doughnuts for us tonight, ma'am," the male said. They both pulled out their badges briefly. 

"I'm officer Espinoza and this is officer Booker. May we come in?" Espinoza asked, tucking hers away. 

Aunt Cass nodded, stepping aside. The officers mumbled their thanks with small smiles. Cass led the way upstairs to the living room. "Would you, um, do you want some coffee?" she asked. "I also have tea, if you'd prefer."

"Coffee sounds great," Espinoza said. 

"I'll have oolong tea, if you have it," Booker said. 

"Alright, one tea, one coffee, coming up," Cass responded. 

She pulled out some foam travel mugs (she liked to keep some on hand just in case Tadashi was running late or she needed to run early morning errands) and put some water on to boil. Reaching in the cabinet, she pulled out a small bag of coffee grounds and a tea bag from the oolong box. With all the preparations set, she poured the hot water into the mugs and started brewing the drinks. 

"So, uh, what brings you kind officers here?" Aunt Cass asked them. She remembered asking them that earlier, but they never answered. 

Cass looked back at the two officers, then turned around. She handed each of them a steaming cup. Officer Booker thanked her and stood. "There was an-" he got cut off by Espinoza, who shook her head sternly.

"An? A what?" she asked. 

Espinoza said, "We need you to come down to the station for a moment."

Cass sighed. "What kind of trouble did they get into this time?" she asked. Slowly, a pitiful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. No matter how many times she told them not to go botfighting, they did it anyway. She should've picked up that book on parenting. 

"We'll brief you in the car," Booker said. 

  
-  


It was a short ride to the police station, only about 7-ish minutes. But as the officers began telling Aunt Cass what had happened, it began feeling like time was just dragging by. Apparently, at about 8:20, someone had called in about a fatal crash on a back road. Drunk driver, they said. The police had responded quickly to get this cleaned up before anyone else could see the people inside. The drivers of both cars were rushed to the hospital despite having only minimal injuries. The two other passengers were pronounced dead on-scene. Aunt Cass asked them not to delve into the how. She refused to believe that her nephews were involved in that mess, even though the police found Tadashi's driver's license on one of the corpses. They must've been robbed. It can't have been them. There's just no way.

The officers escorted Aunt Cass inside and led her into an elevator. The doors closed. "We just need you to identify the bodies. If it's too much, you don't have to, but it would be a great help," Espinoza said softly. The doors opened with a ding, letting them out into the ground floor. The air down here was almost thick enough to be tangible. Aunt Cass didn't like it.

Aunt Cass shook her head. "No, I have to be sure," she said. 

Somehow, they had made their way into a room with white tile walls that smelled like copious amounts of antiseptic. The light here was dim, but there was enough to be able to see well. Three metal tables stood in a row, two of which appeared occupied by lumpy sheets. A lady in scrubs stood patiently beside them.

"Alright," Booker said. He nodded to the lady, who began to pull the sheet back on one of the lumps. 

Cass's breath caught in her throat. Hiro was laid on the table, looking serene despite his young face being marred with cuts and bruises. Cass shook her head and covered her mouth, trying to stay strong. She looked over at the other table. Tadashi... His face looked virtually untouched on one side, but the other was smashed in a bit, and it looked like many glass shards had been removed from there. They were both so pale... She walked closer to them, first putting her hand on Hiro's cheek, then one on Tadashi's. They were both so cold... A tear fell on the sheet over Tadashi's body, and her vision began to blur. The world fell out from under her.

The next thing she knew, she was on the floor sobbing and screaming their names. Her nephews, her babies, had been stolen away from her and there was nothing she could do to get them back. 

  
-  
Today was windy. It was perfect for all of the giant kites that flew over San Fransokyo, and perfect for Hiro. It was his first time in the big city, but he was prepared. His parents decided it was time for him to either fly the nest and get a job or work on the farm. There was no way that he was going to do heavy manual labor; he hadn't minded doing it, but he didn't see a lifetime ahead of him doing it. Where better to look for work than in the city? Of course, that wasn't the only reason he came here. For years, he'd seen that beautiful city in the form of travel advertisements and public television. There were so many things that went on there, from the cherry blossom festival in spring to the fair in the fall. 

Hiro decided that this would be his year to grow. He'd find a job, settle into a nice apartment he'd found a listing for online, and find time to be a part of the local culture. There wasn't a lot of time left before the fair came to town. The small sum of money his parents had given him wouldn't last long enough to allow him to go, so he'd really have to hurry and find a job. With that thought in mind, he huffed and smiled up at the kites. 

"No sense in wasting more time," Hiro said. He grabbed ahold of the straps on his backpack and began to walk toward his building as quickly as he could. That wasn't very fast, though, since he was enamored by the sights before him. 

His building was tall, but certainly not the tallest. For all intensive purposes, it would be perfect for Hiro. He looked at the makeshift map on his watch and checked the address just to be sure. They matched. Hiro beamed, excited to be in the big city at last. This was where his life would begin for real. He strolled into the building and walked straight up to the middle aged man at the desk. His name tag read "Sherm" and his hair was thinning. "Can I help you?" Sherm asked unenthusiastically. 

Hiro replied, "Uh, yeah, I'm Hiro, and I'm supposed to be moving in today. We e-mailed." 

Sherm nodded and sank behind the desk. "Just a minute," he grumbled. 

Hiro heard shuffling. _He must be looking for the key._ Sherm got back up and motioned for Hiro to follow him. Hiro practically bounced after him. This would be so great! "Alright, rent will be $350 a month and that includes utilities and HOA. Wi-Fi is an extra $25 a month or however much you wanna pay an outside company. Rent will be due the first of the month unless we have some other arrangement in place," Sherm said. 

"That sounds great!" Hiro said. 

They had been walking up the stairs for quite some time now, but finally they came to the 8th floor. Hiro's legs were like noodles from all that stair climbing, but he was still enthusiastic. He looked at the doors as they passed by. This place reminded him of a hotel with its hard green carpeting and off-white walls. The halls were sparsely decorated, but there were a few pictures hanging. Oh wait, that one was a mirror. And that little table over there was really cute! Hiro wondered if those flowers in the vase were real or not. They finally stopped at room 816. Sherm put the key in the lock and opened the door. 

"There you go, I'll be expecting rent by the first," Sherm said, walking back towards the stairwell. 

"Alrighty, I won't be late!" Hiro said. 

Hiro took the key out of the door and walked in. He flipped on some lights. It was more spacious in here than he'd expected it to be, but it still retained the qualities he associated with a hotel. The living-dining-kitchen area was right in front of him, and there were a few doors that were to the left. Bedroom and bathroom, probably. There was a small couch and a chair in the living room along with a small entertainment center. _How cute! But I guess I'll need to get a tv or something._ He walked further in and turned to the kitchen area. It was small, but practical. There was plenty of cabinet space and the granite-looking countertops were a plus. The appliances were a little dated, but Hiro could live with that. This whole place looked so retro, but it really felt like home. With a smile, he slung his backpack onto the couch and sat beside it. Yeah, this would be great.

  
-  


Job hunting and grocery shopping came the next day. As expected, Hiro found quite a few opportunities just walking through the streets of San Fransokyo. Most of them were at restaurants or stores, but all looked rather promising. He went in most of the places and picked up an application, so by the end of the day, his backpack was overflowing. Though to be fair, a lot of that was from the groceries he'd bought. It still made him happy to think about how many great opportunities could be in store for him here. At about 9, he finally got back home. Emptying the contents of his bag on the small table took some skill, but most of his things stayed on. He put the groceries away as quickly as he could so he could start filling these applications out. There had to be at least 15 of them lying there. Without any further interruption, he sat down and got to work. 

Two hours and one container of takeout later, Hiro finally finished filling out the applications. He sighed, dropped the pen lightly onto the table, and massaged his right hand. "At least that's done," he mumbled, leaning back in the flimsy wooden chair. He tried to make out patterns on the popcorn ceiling, but it was a bit difficult with the overhead light being so close to him. He closed his eyes for a moment and recounted his day. _Let's see..._ First, there was the Stop-N-Go, then a Walmart and several other grocery stores that he couldn't remember the name of. He'd stopped for lunch at The Lucky Cat Cafe which actually had a lucky cat. For some reason, the lady that worked there said he looked just like one of her nephews. That was hard to forget. From there, he went to a few more retail chains and a thrift store, and one back-alley shop called The Crystal Hand that he thought looked neat. There was one other place that he wanted to visit, but it was getting late by the time he saw it. _Maybe tomorrow I can go there,_ Hiro thought, then sprung back up. He looked at the stove clock; it read 10:56. It had gotten pretty late, but it was par for the course. Exploring all day had made him tired, so he was happy to leave everything on the table and flop into bed. 

The next day, Hiro cooked himself breakfast. It wasn't too much, just an egg and some bacon, but it was good. He realized he needed to get a calendar. Maybe after handing in these applications he could find time do that. There was still plenty of money left to last him awhile, definitely enough to get one. Maybe he should get a small tv, too. There had been quite a bit of stress with filling out the applications, and he was certain that it wouldn't get much better when he started working. With that thought in mind, Hiro added that to the list of things he hadn't gotten. If he wasn't mistaken, the first of the month was coming up soon, so he had decided to stash that money away for when it was due. After breakfast, Hiro cleaned up after himself. He washed the dishes he'd dirtied, cleaned off the table, and for the first time in his life, he actually made the bed. Though, he still didn't see any reasoning behind it. Taking his best clothes from the drawer, he hastily put them on. You could say Hiro was a bit of an eager beaver. 

Hiro set out once again, running down the stairs and bidding Sherm a good morning. He got a grunt in return. Today would be the day when things picked up and opportunities really began impacting him. Maybe there would be some time to stop by that place he'd wanted to visit yesterday. It was hard to tell exactly what it was, but that added to the mystery of the place, and mystery was something Hiro loved. He couldn't stop thinking about that shop all through his errands. Most of the stores he'd filled an application in for were no longer hiring. While it was a bit of a bummer, he didn't let it get him down. In fact, he was happy. This way he had more time to spare today. Since there were only three actual interviews, the whole ordeal only took until about 1 o'clock. Now the only trouble was remembering where that shop was. "Let's see, went around the grocery store to the left, then... Ugh, this is hopeless," Hiro groaned. You could also say he was a little directionally challenged. 

He went around the store (more like stand) and tried to remember the way he was walking yesterday. Mostly, he just ended up walking in frustrating circles, cycling back to the open air cafe behind the little grocery store in the exact place he'd started. On his fourth time around the block, he decided to stop at the cafe. Maybe a little snack would help him think. "Just take a seat anywhere," a male voice said. 

"Thank-" Hiro looked to the source of that voice and thought he'd had a heart attack. Standing a little ways away from him was the most beautiful man he thought he'd seen in his life. Big, beautiful brown eyes lent an air of youth to the man, while gleaming black locks made him look like he'd just stepped out of a Pantene commercial. The thing that got Hiro the most about this guy was his smile and how it led to a single dimple on his left cheek. He looked so familiar somehow, though he was sure they'd never met before today. He hadn't realized he was staring until the man said, "Sir, are you alright? Sir?" 

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, th-thanks," Hiro stammered, sitting as quickly as he could. He stared at his hands and tried to get a grasp of the situation. His whole face felt like it was on fire. Wait a minute, did this mean he was gay? He hadn't ever really felt anything like this before, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to feel it now. It was all prickly and full of adrenaline, not to mention it was extremely sweltering. He hoped the guy wouldn't be his waiter so he wouldn't have to deal with that embarrassment all over again. To his dismay, the man was walking straight toward him. _Okay Hiro, just stay calm, stay calm, stay c a l m... Fuck!_ The man approached him and laid a menu in front of Hiro with a friendly, "Hi, I'm Tadashi and I'll be taking care of you today." Too close, too close, too close! His heart was pounding so hard he thought it might try to beat through his rib cage.

"F-Fine, thanks, h-how are you?" Hiro said. His voice cracked towards the end of the sentence, something he mentally regretted. 

Tadashi smiled, a little bit confused. "I'm doing pretty good myself, thanks. Can I start you off with something to drink?" he asked. 

Hiro fumbled with the menu trying to get an idea of what he wanted. "J-Just, water please is fine," he said. Hearing what he said, he followed it up with, "I swear I know English." 

Tadashi laughed. "I'm sure you do. I'll get that water right out to you," he said, walking away. Hiro watched him disappear behind a door, which was what he assumed to be the kitchen. 

Hiro looked at the menu and tried to calm down. What was it about this man that got him so overwhelmingly emotional? It was almost as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in years. There was no other way to describe the excitement and elation he was feeling. He marked with his finger what he thought would be good for the moment and leaned back in the chair with his head tilted back. The sky was beautiful today; a few puffy clouds surrounded in a sea of crisp cerulean, bordered with the hard edges of buildings and kites and the soft corners of leaves. He heard the door squeak and out came Tadashi with a glass of water. "There you go," Tadashi said, setting the glass on the table. "Do you know what you want to order or do you need a minute?" 

"Um, I'll have this," Hiro said, pointing to what he'd marked on the menu. 

"Ah, the Caribbean. Excellent choice," Tadashi commented. With a quick thanks, Hiro handed him the menu. Tadashi went back to the kitchen, leaving Hiro out here alone with his thoughts and the trees. There had to be some way of finding out where and what that place was. He knew it was around here somewhere, so maybe one of the workers knew where it was. He rested his chin on his hand and puffed out a cheek. Maybe he could ask the waiter whenever he came back out. Hiro practiced asking him in his mind, but then realized that he had no idea what the name of the place actually was. Maybe it started with a P? Or a C, perhaps? "This is hopeless," Hiro groaned, slamming his forehead lightly into the table. "Useless." Thud. "Empty." Thud. "Brain." Thud. 

"I feel like I'm asking this a lot today, but sir, are you alright?" Tadashi asked. Hiro responded with a groan. "Okay, I'll take that as a no." 

Hiro peeked up at Tadashi and noticed that his food was now on the table. "Sorry, I'm just trying to remember the name of a place around here," he said. "It was almost in one of the back alleys and it looked really cool, the name started with a C or a P or something." It was a lackluster description, but Hiro really hoped that this guy could help him out or at least point him in the right direction. 

Tadashi closed his eyes for a minute, humming softly to himself. "That does sound familiar... I get off in a few minutes, maybe we can go look for this place together," he said with a smile. 

"That sounds great! Um, thanks for all of this, Tadashi," Hiro said. He was becoming keenly aware of hot blood rushing to his face, and it was all this beautiful man's fault. Not that that was a bad thing, though. 

"You're quite welcome, uh. I don't think I caught your name," Tadashi mused. 

"Oh, sorry. I'm Hiro," Hiro said. 

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hiro. I'll be back out in a few minutes." With those words, Tadashi walked back to the kitchen. Hiro watched him the whole way until his back disappeared behind the door. Jeez, this guy didn't have a bad angle. It was amazing that anyone could be in his presence and not explode from all that godliness. 

Hiro's stomach growled with the might of a thousand stomachs, urging him to remember the food in front of him. He took a huge bite out of it, letting sauce and crumbs dribble down his lips and fingers. If Tadashi were a sandwich, he would be this sandwich. Wait, that's cannibalism. He shook his head. This was just food, and Tadashi was just a guy. Arguably the most beautiful guy in the world, probably the only guy that Hiro wouldn't say "no homo" to, but a guy none the less. He tried to keep his thoughts in check as he finished his food. 

When Tadashi reemerged in casual clothes, Hiro stood up quickly and almost knocked both the table and chair over. Thankfully, all this adrenaline made his reflexes quicker than greased lightning. He decided to take the cat's way out and pretend like it never happened by plastering a cheek-splitting grin on his face. That earned a giggle from Tadashi and oh lord, Hiro thought he just died and gone to heaven. That man was going to be the death of him. "You know," Tadashi started, walking towards Hiro, "This might sound a little weird, but I feel like we've met before." 

They walked away from the cafe and headed for an intersection. "What, uh, what do you mean?" Hiro said. Well, at least Hiro wasn't the only one feeling it. 

"Well, have you been around here before? I mean, you just look really familiar. Oh, and don't worry about the bill, I took care of it for you," Tadashi said. 

"No, I actually moved here a few days ago. Do you always go around paying for stranger's lunches?" 

Tadashi laughed again. Good _god_ , that laugh was really going to be the end of Hiro. Tadashi was way too cute for his own good. "No, I don't make a habit of it. So, how do you like it here, Hiro?" Tadashi replied. 

"It's nice. Way better than a farm. Uh, I felt it too, actually. I mean, I thought I knew you from somewhere. Weird, right?" Hiro said with an awkward gap-toothed grin. 

"It's not weird at all. Maybe my boss can help us figure it out. She's pretty good with this stuff. We cross here, by the way." Tadashi motioned to the crosswalk and continued, "So, you used to live on a farm, huh? This must be quite the change for you then." 

Hiro shrugged. "Well, I guess so. But I've wanted to do this for the longest time, ever since I was little. My parents finally let me move out here after months of begging. Is your boss a psychic or something?"

"Actually, yes. I work part time at a place called 'The Crystal Hand'." 

"That's the name of the place, The Crystal Hand!" Hiro shouted.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Wait, if you work part time there, do you tell people's fortunes?" 

"Sometimes. I usually just take care of customers and book appointments, but I have been known to do a little fortune telling." 

"Woah, that's so cool! So then what am I thinking?" 

Tadashi smiled at Hiro's enthusiasm. "It's not like that, Knucklehead." He realized what he said and covered his mouth with a little gasp. "I'm so sorry, I did _not_ mean to call you that." 

Hiro giggled. "It's fine. But I'm still waiting for you to tell me what I'm thinking about, Nerd." 

"Hey!" 

"Wahh!"

"Get back here!" 

Tadashi ended up chasing Hiro to The Crystal Hand in a flurry of laughs and shouted directions. By the time they got through the door with a small _ding-a-ling_ , they were wheezing and tearing up a little. At least they were happy idiots. As if on cue, a rather short woman in a long dress strode into the room in a cloud of smoke, arms thrown skyward. "I'VE BEEN EXPECTI-" She paused her dramatic entrance when she saw who stood before her and let her arms fall back to her sides with a smack. "Oh, it's just you, Tadashi. And who is this little lamb with you?" the woman said, clasping her long fingers together. 

"Gaia, this is Hiro. Hiro, this is my boss, Gaia McClellan," Tadashi said. 

"Nice to meet ya, Hiro," Gaia said, extending a hand. Hiro took it and nearly winced at what a grip she had. 

"You, too," Hiro said, shaking his hand a little. He'd have to check for broken bones later. 

"Slow day today?" Tadashi asked. 

"You have no idea. I hope you brought this little one as business," Gaia said, eyeing Hiro. 

"Well, sorta." Tadashi stepped forward a little. "We actually need your help with something." 

That seemed to pique Gaia's interest. "Go on," she drawled. 

Hiro quickly explained, "Okay so yesterday I was walking around town looking for jobs and then I stumbled upon this place but when I got back I couldn't remember the name so I came out today to look for it and I looked and looked and looked but I couldn't find it so I got frustrated and then Tadashi and I met earlier today at a cafe and since then we've both had the uncanny feeling of knowing each other even though I just moved here two days ago and I've never seen him before in my life but it felt like it and he felt like it too so it's just weird and then Tadashi said that you could help us out because you're a psychic." Hiro was out of breath by the time he'd finished explaining the situation, but it was enough to earn him dumbfounded expressions from both Tadashi and Gaia.

"Sorry, I got nervous," Hiro said, scratching his head. 

Tadashi and Gaia looked at each other, then back at Hiro. "Okay so uh," Gaia said, "You want my help with what now?" 

"I think what Hiro was trying to say is that we've both felt drawn to each other. Do you think you can help us understand why?" Tadashi asked. 

"Ohhhh! Of course I can help you figure out why. For the right price, that is," Gaia said with the same sly look as before. She then let out a loud laugh and smacked the boys' backs. "I'm just kiddin', come on back you two. Don't look so scared, there's no demons here." She led the way through a beaded curtain into a room that smelled like sandalwood and incense. Silks were draped over the roof and around the small, cluttered floor table in the middle. Funny, it almost looked like a kotatsu. 

"Alright you two, have a seat," Gaia said, sitting on one side of the table. The two obeyed and sat beside each other in front of Gaia. "Now," she grabbed a deck of blue and tan backed cards, "it's time to choose." She spread the cards face down on the table. "Pick the one that calls to you, little one. Feel your spirit reaching through your fingertips, guiding you to the right card."

Hiro tried his best to feel which card was calling to him, but they all looked the same. _Maybe this one?_ Tadashi had already chosen a card. Boy, that really put the pressure on. Without thinking, he reached out and got the first one his hand hit. "Ah, very good. Now then, let's see which ones you've chosen," Gaia said. She flipped them over, revealing a picture of what looked like a photo-realistic gnome and tree on Hiro's and a lady with owl wings on her head. "Ah, yes, the Sorcerer and the Shapeshifter. It appears as though in a past life, you two had quite the deep bond, as evidenced by the Sorcerer. Maybe familial, maybe as lovers." The boys glanced at each other, then turned their attention back to Gaia. Hiro hoped Tadashi didn't see him blushing. "The meaning of the Shapeshifter is a bit elusive in this sense. Perhaps, that bond you had underwent change, whether for better or for worse. I need another card to figure out which." 

Gaia ran her hands over the cards and mumbled incoherently. Suddenly, she stopped and picked a card with a satisfied look on her face. "Here we go. Let's see what we have here." She flipped the card over and smiled. "The Lady of Leprechauns." She let them see the image of a beautifully painted woman with pointed ears in red surrounded by green. 

"It seems like it changed for the better. The Lady of Leprechauns speaks of childlike fun and mischief, so you two must have been quite the pair," Gaia said. 

"Brothers... I never would've guessed," Hiro said. 

"Or lovers. Still just as exciting," Tadashi commented, looking Hiro straight in the eye. Hiro could get lost in those warm, brown eyes. 

A small meow turned everyone's attention to the doorway. "Oh, there you are Turtle," Gaia said. The cat, a black tabby, loped over to Gaia and laid down in her lap. 

"Why is her name Turtle?" Hiro asked. 

"Because even when she's hungry, she's a slowpoke. Isn't that right, Tort? Yus it is," Gaia said, rubbing the cat's head. 

"Oh yeah, come to think of eating and cats, there was this cafe I went to yesterday called The Lucky Cat Cafe. The owner said I reminded her of her nephew. She made a pretty big deal about it and everything. Maybe she has some more answers," Hiro said. He was proud of himself for remembering not only that, but the name of the place too.  
-  


A thirty minute walk and Gaia closing shop for the day was all it took to look into what Hiro had said about The Lucky Cat Cafe. Hiro thought he knew where it was, but it was Tadashi who ended up finding the place. "It's kind of weird. This all feels so familiar," Tadashi said. 

"Par for the course today, wouldn't you think?" Hiro said. 

The place was typical of what a downtown might have: business down below and apartments up top. Hiro liked the lucky cat on the roof. That was half of what made it memorable. "So, we gonna go in?" Hiro asked. Tadashi nodded. The two crossed the street and prepared for what destiny would hold. 

The two pushed past the door and into the calm little cafe. "Welcome!" the woman behind the counter shouted. "It's you again! I'm so glad to see you!" The woman caught him in a bear hug. For a graying woman, she was still pretty strong. "And you brought someone that... looks like my, uh... other nephew..." 

"Thanks, ma'am. Um, let me introduce you. This is Tadashi, and I'm Hiro. It's nice to formally meet you," Hiro said, sitting and extending his still hurting hand. 

"Cass..." she said, looking at them with sad eyes. "Are you really..." She took both of their hands in hers. "Do you two remember this place? Do you remember anything?" Tears were welling in her eyes. 

"It does feel familiar here," Tadashi said. Hiro nodded. 

Cass looked nearly frantic. "H-Hold on, I have some things that might help you remember," she said, running to the back of the store. 

"Are you sure this was a good idea? I mean, what if she's just a crazy old lady?" Tadashi asked. "I shouldn't say that."

"I know she has some answers. Don't you want that? Don't you feel it too?" Hiro asked, looking sadly into Tadashi's eyes. 

Tadashi sighed and offered a pitiful half smile. "I do." 

Cass came back downstairs with an armload of things, what Hiro learned to be a photo album, a SFIT cap, and a robot with a goofy face. She set the things down carefully, handed Hiro the robot, and gave the cap to Tadashi. "These were theirs. Hiro loved that robot even though it got him and Tadashi in jail once. Tadashi never left the house without that cap on, except the night when they..." Cass held her breath. All could tell she was trying to keep what little composure she had left. Tadashi reached out to pat her back. "I'm sorry, it's just a little hard to talk about. You both came up with the craziest ideas for inventions..."

"Don't be sad, Aunt Cass," Hiro said softly, handing her the napkin holder. He wasn't sure what else he could do, but apparently that was something enough. She looked at him with so much love, he could see her heart breaking. So earnest, so vulnerable. He couldn't remember a time when she wasn't strong. He looked more thoroughly at the robot in his hands. It was made of three different sections that looked identical, save for the head. "Megabot," Hiro mumbled. 

"Y-Yes, that's what he called that one," Cass said with a pitiful smile. Her voice was wavering and tears rolled down her cheeks. 

"I wonder how the gang is doing..." Tadashi said, staring lovingly at the hat, then at Aunt Cass. 

"You... d-do you remember now, boys?" Cass said, pulling the cover back on the photo album. "You two were always trouble, but we had so much fun together. Like when you two built a hover car out of a shopping cart and the stove... You took it down the hill as fast as you could and crashed it into a tree! Or when you made a bed that jumped for you, and when you put rocket boots on Mochi and got burned trying to catch him... Oh, you two were almost more than I could handle, but I loved you both so much." 

A river of memories came flooding back to Hiro. He remembered growing up here because his parents had gone, remembered how Tadashi and Aunt Cass had taken care of him up until the end. He remembered Mochi and hot wings, botfights and birthdays spent together with his family. He remembered all the robots and inventions, moments shared with his brother and scoldings from his Aunt. But most of all, he remembered the love they all shared, both familial and not in Tadashi's case. 

"I remember now. There's still a few blanks, but I remember, Aunt Cass," Tadashi said with a quivering voice. 

"How could we have forgotten?" Hiro said, wiping the moisture from his eyes with a sniffle. 

Aunt Cass got up and flipped the sign on the door. For the rest of the day, the three of them laughed and cried, sharing their experiences both new and old. To end it off, the three went upstairs and started a movie, the one Aunt Cass always fell asleep through. But this time, no one slept. They all spoke of lives old and new, of cats and hot wings. 

And for once, nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised I would end it happily! Did it leave you crying in another way? Please, feel free to leave comments below. Also, the deck of cards is based on a real one called The Faerie Oracle by Brian and Wendy Froud. I highly recommend looking them up, the deck is absolutely gorgeous. Plus, it's very user-friendly for all of you that might be interested. As a bit of a side note, they do end up getting together after the initial awkwardness wears off. You know the kind I'm talking about. Or maybe you don't, I can't read minds. Anyways, thank you so much for reading this, I hope this last chapter was worth the wait and I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. I love you all, keep doing what you're doing because you're all amazing.  
> -Atlas


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